18 Dec 2020

Expert on Ihumātao deadlock-breaking deal

From Morning Report, 6:10 am on 18 December 2020

The long-running deadlock over historic Maori land at Ihumātao in south Auckland has been broken.

The Government announced yesterday that it is buying the land from Fletcher Building for just under 30-million dollars. 

The Māori Development Minister, Willie Jackson, is adamant the deal announced today will not unwind any historical or future settlements under the Treaty of Waitangi. 

But the National Party says the Government has set a dangerous precedent for other land occupations by buying the land at Ihumātao. 

Victoria University associate law professor Carwyn Jones told Mani Dunlop that land disputes like Ihumātao will pop up from time to time, but he doesn't believe this deal will effect Treaty Settlements.